Let鈥檚 get the basics out of the way first: Van McCann is a perfect name for a rock star. It鈥檚 got rhyme, it鈥檚 got rhythm, it鈥檚 got swagger and tips a nod to the legends of the past, given that the Catfish singer was named after Van Morrison (whose real name, oddly enough, is Ivan). It is, in fact, a far better name for a rock star than Catfish and the Bottlemen is for a rock band, but that slight oddness鈥攁nd Van鈥檚 undying belief in his band鈥檚 abilities鈥攊s key to their appeal.
Formed in Llandudno in 2010, the Bottlemen have always been slightly outside the mainstream of indie rock, never quite getting the critical support they deserve from the indie press, while hoovering up as many fans as possible with every gig. That said, each of their one-word-titled singles鈥擧omesick, Rango, Kathleen, Fallout and so on鈥攈as been hailed by Zane Lowe as the Hottest Record in the World and playlisted on Radio 1, they stormed the 大象传媒 Introducing stage at last year鈥檚 Big Weekend in Glasgow and they won the 大象传媒 Introducing trophy at the first 大象传媒 Music Awards last year. Not that you could say this all happened because Mr and Mrs McCann had a Van Morrison fetish, but it certainly can鈥檛 have hurt their chances.
Let鈥檚 get the basics out of the way first: Van McCann is a perfect name for a rock star. It鈥檚 got rhyme, it鈥檚 got rhythm, it鈥檚 got swagger and tips a nod to the legends of the past, given that the Catfish singer was named after Van Morrison (whose real name, oddly enough, is Ivan). It is, in fact, a far better name for a rock star than Catfish and the Bottlemen is for a rock band, but that slight oddness鈥攁nd Van鈥檚 undying belief in his band鈥檚 abilities鈥攊s key to their appeal.
Formed in Llandudno in 2010, the Bottlemen have always been slightly outside the mainstream of indie rock, never quite getting the critical support they deserve from the indie press, while hoovering up as many fans as possible with every gig. That said, each of their one-word-titled singles鈥擧omesick, Rango, Kathleen, Fallout and so on鈥攈as been hailed by Zane Lowe as the Hottest Record in the World and playlisted on Radio 1, they stormed the 大象传媒 Introducing stage at last year鈥檚 Big Weekend in Glasgow and they won the 大象传媒 Introducing trophy at the first 大象传媒 Music Awards last year. Not that you could say this all happened because Mr and Mrs McCann had a Van Morrison fetish, but it certainly can鈥檛 have hurt their chances.
